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it currently boils down to how often you visit and how close together those visits are.

And the duration of previous visits (weeks vs months). Even with a Tourist Visa you can have problems, if your "stuck around too long the last time," in the mind of the IO in charge. There are no guidelines - just lawlessness at the Bangkok airports - so it's always dangerous, whatever the odds.

8 hours ago, SEtonal said:

An Australian (former Dutch/Netherlands citizen) was refused the combo method at Chiang Mai. He will go back to Australia, apply for a 90-day non-O, top his Thai bank account up to 800K baht, and apply for an extension once his funds are properly seasoned.

If traveling to one's passport-country (or where one has legal residence), a Non-OA is the best deal, now. Immigration here is best avoided if at all possible - and you can keep you money invested wisely, and in a country where you have the permanent right to "be" / have access to it.

Why be held-hostage by the deteriorating conditions of Thai immigration if you have an alternative, and are already in or going to where you can obtain a Non-OA? Soon, the majority of folks still obtaining "extensions of stay" from immigration here will be the ones faking the money with agents - which seems to be the point of the exercise.

6 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I have heard a report a few days ago of an offer of ฿25,000 from an agent in Bangkok "all you need is passport 3 photos and 25,000 + 4,000 for multiple re-entry permit + EMS cost. You do not need money in the bank we take care of that" the person who received the offer lives in the Northeast

They should call it the "New Rules Special". I have to wonder if that agent actually uses CW immigration, though - I would bet pocketing 7K extra and doing it via a Jomtien agent. Doing the 90-day reports might be interesting - or he could border-bounce to avoid them, like those of us on Non-O-ME Visas.

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Why there, with so many welcoming countries on Earth with better cost/benefit quality-of-life ratios to choose from? Only Thailand, and a few other affordable locales, acts like they have have a stick stuck (where the sun don't shine) / allows their immigration to screw its own people out of profiting from our spending.

34 minutes ago, Jerry787 said:

Vietnam. Laos, Cambodia 450USD per year, multi entry 1 year visa.

Less in Cambodia - $300 or $360 USD, I think. Similar in the PI, where you can opt to renew every 2 mo for 3 years (friendly IOs), border-bounce, then repeat.

Thailand's offer seems cheaper at ~$60/yr, but with all the "new rules" pointless junk, you lose in transfer-fees, investment-returns, etc - plus are likely to be treated like crap in the process. Avoid the crap by paying them off via their agent-partners, and now you are well over the alternatives.

3 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

So the cheaper it is the more welcome you are?

How you are treated is a big factor. Here, like crap in many offices and entry-points - while other countries behave in a professional AND friendly manner, as though they were trained to behave this way.

If you have family here, it's one thing - but no one else should consider Thailand for anything beyond the short-term, unless/until there has been a reversal of policies towards Farang expats. Absent a big shift in attitudes, the trend is clearly downhill, and if they haven't shafted you yet - just wait, it is likely they will get around to it.

4 hours ago, Suradit69 said:

Were you not welcome in your own country or is there some other reason you're searching for a place you'll be tolerated? ﻿

What an insulting thing to say. We come to places like Thailand because we can have a better quality of life at a lower cost than our passport-country. Our spending from foreign-sources is good for Thais, and the lower costs is good for us - a true "Win Win" scenario for all concerned.

But Thailand's immigration has recently decided they want to deprive the Thai people of our spending, unless we pay into one of their corrupt "tribute" systems, and/or jump through hoops like trained monkeys for their amusement. THAT is the problem - and the only problem with staying in Thailand. Fix Thai immigration and their screwed-up policies, and all would be well again.

The other countries being considered do NOT have such types running their immigration-systems - screwing their own people out of our spending - so we are (logically) very welcome to come and spend our money there. It's as simple as that.

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Currently I possess a O-A non immigrant long stay visa, 1 year with multiple entry, issued June 8, 2018. First used to come Thailand 12 Dec 2018. Will the current visa still expire on June 7, 2019?

The visa's expiration date should be printed on it - should be on that date. If you enter on that date or before, you will get a NEW 1-year permitted stay, which you can keep alive for trips in and out with a re-entry permit.

4 hours ago, Ej2562 said:

I﻿ want to convert to retirement visa or extend O-A, 1 year visa when I return to Thailand in June, before 07﻿, if feasible. ﻿By early June, 2019, I plan to have deposited 65000 baht in a Thai bank every month starting March 2019.

If the IOs at your local office will accept deposits from March 2019 through June 2019, then you could opt for the 1-year extension of stay, but some are demanding 12 months of deposits - even for those applying currently.

As I wrote above, a border-run before your Non-OA Visa expires would give you a fresh 1-year permitted-stay - same as what you would get from going through the rigamorole with immigration. The only difference, is you would have to do a border-run to get it - unless entering close to that date, in which case you get 1-year permitted-stay from that date -and are set.

Just don't forget to get a re-entry permit to keep it alive for that year, after the "Visa" has expired.

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As to the discussion about entry-types - the entries do not have to be back-to-back to be a problem if entering at lawless entry points like the Bangkok Airports. They don't follow the law or even a consistent-standard of illegal rules - so anything could happen.

If willing to enter at law-abiding land-borders, then flying domestic, there is not a problem regardless of if entries are "back to back" or not - since "when you were last here" or "how much time you spent here before" are not legal reasons for consideration by a law-abiding IO. The only limitation to be concerned with, in this context, is a valid police-order limiting Visa-Exempt land-border entries to 2x per calendar year. Of course, always have the required items depending on if entering Exempt or with a Visa - money, flight, hotel-booking, etc.

not easy, unless ur over 55, to get a 1 year ER extension in Cambodia an its around $390 not $450... BUT its multiple entry an no need any $$ in any Bank, although banks pay up to 8% ( - 6%tax) on 1 year deposits ( vs 1.5% in Thailand)
no retirement visa for Laos and hard to get 1 year unless legally working or married.

Fortunately, no problem doing them back-to-back. The 1-year Tourist-Visa also requires border-bounces at 90-days.
Reports indicate one can get a 1-year business-visa (no border-bounces) very easily via an agent. I think that's the $400 option being referred to.